The Owl House and "Letting Go"
This isn't the sort of thing I would normally post on here, but the past two weeks of being back in the Owl House world have got me thinking about a lot, and I needed to share it somewhere.
The process of writing and recording "Want It All" last week was genuinely one of the most enjoyable things I've done in a long time. It was great to be in the Owl House world again. It was great to create something just myself and Alex, the way we did back in 2022, without having to coordinate schedules or spend any money. It was greatest of all to see so many of our fans react so positively to the song. That's the best part of all of this - it's why we make music. To share with our friends and hope they like it - make people feel happy, safe, and comfortable. It was great to see all of that happening again.
But, to be honest, I also felt guilty.
A surprisingly big theme of The Owl House is "letting go" - not allowing yourself get stuck in a fantasy. In just the second episode, Luz has to choose between a fake fantasy realm where everything goes her way, and the mundanity of the "real world". Choosing the real world saves the day. And the final scene of the show where the Collector can only observe his friends from afar while they wave goodbye is a pretty clear allegory that the show wants us to let it go. The story is over, and you aren't welcome here anymore - at least not the way you used to be.
This theme even carries over into Knights of Guinevere where the presumed antagonist Olivia is an old woman still living in a child's nursery who just can't let Guinevere go. She needs to remain in control and "fix" things until they're perfect. All the while, the world around her suffers.
Making more songs inspired by The Owl House feels like choosing the fantasy over reality. To let you in on a secret, there were people close to me who said I shouldn't release "Want It All." They thought I needed to make a clean break from the Owl House and get back to writing original music.
But the problem is, we tried that. We spent two years making our own story and our own songs and trying to promote them. We tried to play shows and make TikTok's and be a 'normal' band. We spent time and money that we didn't have and barely got any back. And all the while I watched our streaming numbers and daily engagement go down, until it was just a fraction of what it used to be.
Now here we are, making songs about animated shows again, and the numbers are going back up. And not only that, but I'm enjoying it more, too. We've had more likes and shares and follows in the past three weeks than any time in the past two years. "Royal Blue" has done better than any song we've made since 2023. "Want It All" has one hundred positive comments. The edits that we've made with TOH and KOG clips have thousands of views.
It's clear that this is what folks really want from us. This is what connects with you and makes you happy. And when the "real world" is as miserable and dangerous as it is now with no happiness or hope to be found, how can anyone take issue with that? Who cares if you're living in a fantasy when there's nowhere else to go?
To be honest, I could write songs about The Owl House for the rest of the year. Hell, I'd even dress up as time-skip Hunter and wear a blond wig if you wanted me to, just to make the experience even more immersive. I've actually wanted to do that for a long time...
I don't know if we'll do that or not (the 'Owl House songs for the rest of the year' part, not the 'dress up as time-skip Hunter' part). I love the show, but I don't want to get stuck here. I don't want to trap you here, either. I want all of us to be able to move on, to let go. Someday.
But in either case, I'm glad I can still make things that you like. It's a very fulfilling thing. I hope I'll always be able to make things that make you happy.
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